Free Character Writing Prompts #44: Actors, Musicians and Artists

It's creativity city when you check out thesecharacter writing promptsabout actors, musicians and artists. In many stories I've read that are steeped in cliché throughout all of their characters, the actors, musicians and the artists are portrayed the least realistically. Having been an actor for many years, I have definitely witnessed the pompous, stuck up, "what is my motivation?" type of creative artist, but they are certainly few and far between. There are many more that are grounded in reality, often with a 9 to 5 job to pay the bills and a desperate effort to blend their creative passions with what the world actually wants. I've been fortunate to meet multiple successful creative in the acting, music and artistic fields of various personality types, some of which I'll share or create with you here.

Free Character Writing Prompts #44: Actors, Musicians and Artists

1. He was a beautiful human being and he looked like he belonged in underwear billboards. He didn't want to settle just for using his body though, he wanted to be an actor on the big screen. The problem being, he was absolutely terrible. After years of always depending on his looks, he didn't have much in the way of an analytical brain, or a functioning brain at all. He wasn't able to take direction well and he even had issues with things like hitting his mark. What will this prized specimen of humanity do about his dream of becoming an actor?

2. All of his life he'd been a completely internal person and anything spur of the moment was the farthest thing from being in his wheelhouse. In college, he discovered his untapped powers of improvisation, which transitioned into serious acting. It turned out that his many years of overactive internal monologue worked quite well for his ability to externally monologue. His parents and friends were completely surprised when he invited them to his first performance, in which he completely killed it and received a standing ovation. Will he continue to act after college and in what ways has his introspection improved his acting abilities?

3. She wasn't the prettiest, she wasn't the most talented, but she was extremely fearless in all of her performances. She had absolutely no shame and she used this ability to take on roles that would have scared any other actors out of their wits. She'd been naked on stage in front of her peers as a freshman, she'd played men, transsexuals and she'd even had her head computer generated where a woman's genitalia was supposed to be. In addition to her lack of stage fright, she was tough as nails and was willing and able to defend herself in a battle of wits or fists. How did she become such a tough cookie and what are some of the ways her lack of fear have helped her career?

4. She had a voice like an angel and by the age of 22, she had already front-lined several successful bands. The only problem was that none of them had ever really taken her anywhere and she wanted her voice to get out to a larger audience. She struck out on her own and moved to New York City. She started by playing night clubs and teaching lessons to make ends meet. Just as she had hoped, she was discovered by a producer and she was even able to produce her own solo album. Now, all she could do was wait to see if it was picked up by the local and nationwide radio stations. Will she achieve her dreams of success and how will her final result make her feel about her career?

5. For most of his life he'd felt like he was in great pain. His circumstances didn't really demonstrate that, he had loving parents, he grew up in a decent area, he wasn't bullied or mocked, but the smallest amount of discomfort would cause him agony. His parents assumed he might be able to channel this pain artistically and they were right. He began taking classes and he noticed similarities between his personality and the personalities of the other artists. His work was quickly snatched up by local galleries and they were hailing him as a homegrown talent. He was pleased by his success, but the pain was still a part of his life and he used drugs and alcohol to calm it as much as he could. Will his art ever be enough to calm his pain or will his methods of suppression consume him?

6. When he told his family that he wanted to paint and draw, they pushed him toward engineering, as it seemed a practical version of a career path they would never choose for him. He had an uncanny ability to render both blueprints and the human form and when he was away at college he took classes in both subjects. He was a half-decent engineer, but his artistic abilities began to attract attention throughout the university. It wasn't until a family friend visiting the school saw one of the drawings that his parents found out. They rushed to school and told him he would have to quit this "artistic nonsense." Will he listen to his folks or will he continue to pursue art as a potential career path?

7. She was something of a young Martha Stewart, as she was able to take objects like paper plates, popsicle sticks and buttons and turn them into something fantastic. Pictures of her creations had been making it into magazines for nearly a decade before she was persuaded to write a book on the subject. Her tome of crafting ideas was a best-seller and she toured her work around the country for all to see. She didn't feel like making sculptures out of such silly materials was really art, but she did thoroughly enjoy herself while she was doing it. She was thoroughly happy though that her success gave her an opportunity for the finer things in life, even though she used such normal objects to bring her visions to reality. Where did her artistic abilities come from and how high will her success take her?

8. She loved to sing more than anything and at the age of 15, it made the most sense to record her singing her favorite songs on YouTube. Millions of views later, she had been contacted for a record deal and she would be touring around the country. She loved her sudden rise to fame, though she missed getting to see her friends and her favorite teachers. She had a private tutor to help her along while she was away but it wasn't the same. She would often find herself crying to a friend on the phone in the evening when she tried to go to sleep. Will she continue to live the life of a pop recording sensation or will she try to go back to being a regular kid and why?

9. On a whim, his parents took him for a casting call at the age of two-years-old and he'd been acting every since. He was a bit of a child star in his youth, getting to play opposite major adult actors and holding his own quite nicely. As he grew up, his acting matured as well and he was able to weather the storm of the transition from child star to indie teen actor. He knew he had a great talent and that he'd earned his parents enough money to retire from his hard work, but he wasn't completely sure that he still wanted to do it. Acting wasn't as easy as it looked and as a sort of method actor, he often felt sad when he played sad characters, which was bringing him down. Will he decide to continue in this career or try something new and what will his parents think?

10. She didn't just want to be an actor or a singer or a dancer. She wanted to be all of them: a triple-threat. She had her parents send her to all of the camps and the classes so that she could absorb all those skills into her tiny body. She wasn't bad at any of the three skills, but she wasn't exceptional either, which only forced her to work harder. She was so involved in her love of musical theatre, that the other kids at school poked fun at her. She resolved the only way to beat them was to become the best in the world. She stayed up late and practiced her voice every night and each morning she'd get up early to exercise for dancing. She put most of her work into her acting class and she dreamed each night of becoming a star. Will she be able to realize her dream and if so, how will she get there?

Did you enjoy these character writing prompts? Keep an eye out for the book 1,000 Character Writing Prompts in late 2011.

Bryan Cohen is the author of more than 30 books, many of which focus on creative writing and blasting through that pesky writer's block. His books have sold more than 20,000 copies. You can find him on Google+ and Facebook.

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